A Lesson on Insulation

Earlier we covered the topic of ice dams. The culprit of many ice dams can be poor insulation in the attic. Now that the warm weather is on its way it may seem this problem can wait another season but poor insulation can also mean a hotter house on warm days. The question now arises: how do I best insulate my attic? There are many different ways this can be done. Below is a list of popular insulation materials. Usually a combination of insulation types is used in a home.

When looking at insulation you are going to see a lot of talk about “R-Value”. According to EnergyStar.gov, R-Value is “a measure of insulation’s ability to resist heat traveling through it.” The higher the R-Value the more effective the insulation. A chart on the same website shows homes in Maine to require insulation with an R-Value of 49-60 for the attic walls and 30-60 for the floor, depending on the current amount of insulation in the attic.